GREAT BRITAIN and Australia have gone to independent arbitration in a bid to resolve their dispute over the referee for the Ashes Test decider.

GREAT BRITAIN and Australia have gone to independent arbitration in a bid to resolve their dispute over the referee for the Ashes Test decider.

Two days of intensive negotiations between Greg McCallum, the Rugby Football League's director of rugby, and Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr have failed to break the deadlock over the choice of the man in the middle for Saturday's third Guinness Test at Wigan.

Now the matter has been referred to the executive committee of the Rugby League International Federation.

The Kangaroos wanted to retain Australian referee Bill Harrigan, who was in charge at Bolton last Saturday, while Britain have offered the tourists a choice of three Super League officials.